Display folder



May 19, 1953 1-. w. FOSTER DISPLAY FOLDER Filed March 22, 1952 fnz/erzl ar" T/wmas id 1 251737 Patented May 19, 1953 DISPLAY FOLDER Thomas W. Foster, Chicago, Ill., asslgnor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Delaware Application March 22, 1952, Serial No. 278,010

1 Claim. (01. 40-455).

The present invention relates to display folders and more particularly to an improved folder which may be formed from folding carton stock or other paperboard material and which is designed for use as a display rack or holder for displaying articles of fiat sheet form as for example cellulose ester transfer prints commonly known as decalcomania or simply decals, wall paper or fabric samples, photographs, decorative prints and the like. It is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide an improved folder of this character which may initially be constructed in the form of a flat blank of one-piece unitary construction capable of readily being folded about the article to be displayed and which, when so assembled thereon, will provide an attractive frame-like border for the article while at the same time affording rigidity for the edge portions of the article.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display folder of this character which requires the use of a relatively small amount of the paperboard material for its construction thereby effecting economy of material in the large scale manufacture of the article.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display folder for articles in sheet form which may be easily applied to the articles so as to contain the articles therein by the simple expedient of performing a relatively few folding and tucking operations.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a display folder which will effectively contain the article to be displayed while at the sametime permitting easy removal of the a ticle when desired.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a display folder for articles in sheet formwhich, when assembled upon the article to contain the same therein is itself of a relatively flat nature having slight thickness so that a number of th thus packaged articles may be stacked together in a small space with the folder affording the necessary rigidity to the packaged article to enable ready thumbing through the stack for selection of a particular article without the danger of tearing or otherwise mutilating or soiling of the edges of the article.

The improved display folder embodying the present invention is particularly well adapted for use in the displaying and marketing of decals and similar articles of sheet form and to this end it contemplates the provision of a flat blank preferably of folding carton stock which may be folded about three edge portions of the rectan folder in its position of use.

gular flat decal in such a manner as to provide apartial border extending around three sides of the decal and which may also be folded upon itself in such a manner as to retain securely the If desired a rigid backing sheet and a protective transparent facing sheet for the decal may also be included in the assembly so that the thus packaged decal although visible for purposes of display is entirely enclosed and protected against damage or soiling.

The provision of a display folder which is attractive in its appearance; one which is comprised of a small amount of paperboard material and still which is rugged and durable and which consequently will withstand rough usage; one which provides a border effect for the article to be displayed and at the sametime. which affords visibility of a major portion of the packaged article; and one which otherwise is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features that have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

Other objects and advantages of the invention not particularly enumerated above will become more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood.

' In the accompanying single sheet of drawings forming a part of this specification, one embodiment of the inventionhas been shown.

In these drawings: l

Fig. 1 is a, plan view of a blank from which the improved display container comprising the present invention may be folded;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the folder set up for use and showing an article contained therein; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the folder in a partially folded condition, illustrating the manner in which progressive folding and tucking operations are performed in producing the finished folder. In this view certain. parts have been broken away more clearly to re-- veal the nature of the invention.

A preferred formof the invention has been. shown in the drawings and will be described herein, but it should beunderstood that the in-- vention is not. limited to the specific disclosure made, and that the appended claim should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.

Referring now to thedr'a'wings in detail and in. particular to Fig. l, the improved display folder' is formed from a single sheet 10 of folding car-- ton stock or other paperboard materialto pro vide a plurality of connected sections or panels which are set ofi by fold lines which may be in the form of creases or scoring, all of which have been indicated in dotted lines and which serve to separate the blank into its various component parts.

An understanding of the nature of the folded display device *andits application to an article which is-contained therein for display purposes will in a large manner facilitate an understanding of the parts of the blank l0 and the manner j in which it may be folded to produce the completed display assembly. Accordingly, as shown -.addition, each constitutes one element of an interlocking strut assembly associated with this in Figs. 2 and 3, the erected, "display folder- 1x1 volves in its general organizationa generally U-. shaped frame-like structure having upper and lower parallel leg portions 12 and Hand an.interconnecting base portion Hi. The three portions l2, l4 and [6 are generally of inwardly presented channel-shape cross section and the channel regions thereof are adapted tostraddle the upper, lower, and one side border portion of a composite article as for example a decal display as: sembly such asthe decal proper 18,, a stifiener 01' backing sheet 29 and a transparent protective window or facing sheet-22 such as are shown in Fig.2;

Without reference to the details of the folder construction as exemplified by the blank of Fig. 1.,

the erected folder structure as shown in Fig. 3 7

includes a composite back border wall of suitable u shape configuration conforming to the overall of the .folderas a whole, a similarly shaped front border wall spaced from the back wall a slight distance so as to permit reception of the border portions of the article to be displayed therebetween, and interconnecting narrow top. bottom and end walls. The front wall issubstancontinuous as are also the narrow indiyidual interconnecting walls at the top, bottom and side of the structure but the rear Wall of a-composite nature consisting as does of from one to four layers'ozf the paperboard material various portions thereof as will he pointed out F sc 1w l Referring now to Fig. l, the blank to includes a panel section M of generally U-shaped outline which is separated from the remainder of the blank by means of atransyerse fold line 2 6 imp and lower longitudinal fold lines 28 and .30, and aligned short transverse fold Mend 34,. As will become clear presently. the panel 24 constitutes the front side :of the display folder and is adapted to overlie the marginal portions of the article to be displayed on three sides thereof. "To enhance the border effect, the .parallel sides of :the panel '24 :may merge with the .base thereof by means of curved corner portions 36.

- .A pair of similar -.outwardly offset extensions designated in their entirety at 3.8 and All are ,provided along the .upperand lower edgeof the panel 24 and each of these extensions .is divided into a relatively narrow elongated panel section 12 and a generally trapezoidal-shaped .panel section M by means of an intervening iold lined]; extending parallel to the .foldline 3'll. A third panel section 48 which constitutes a tuck .flapin the completely erected structure is rfenderedreadily bendable 'for tucking purposes by means of .a plurality .of crease lines 511 of which two have been shown .for iHuse trative purposes. I

.A second U -s'haped panel section .52 of lesser U depth than the ,panelisection 2 isseparatedifrom this latter ,panellsecti'on by an intermediate elonis further folded about the sometimes and 34 back wall structure. The leg portions 60 and B2 are designed for i terlocking cooperation with a pair of similar leg portions 65 and 63 which, in ithe blank Ill, are in the form of panel sections which are separated from the panel section 24 by relatively small 'narrow transversely extending panelsections l0 and '12. The panel sections iii and 12 are separated from the panel section 2G by the previously mentioned fold 1ines32 and 34, while these aligned panel sections. are separated from the panel sections to and .58 by fold lines it and 16. The outer ends of the leg portions 65 and 62 are provided with-locking tongues is designed for. interlocking engagement with similar lockin tongues provided at the outer ends of the panel sections and ttrespectively.

In Fig. 2 the display folder is shown as being operatively applied to a decal package assembly including thedecal sheet proper 88, its stiffener or backing sheet wand the transparent protective sheet 22 through which the decal pattern may be viewed in the display assembly. It will be understood, of course, that the display folder will be also usefulfor containing and displaying other articles of a flat nature with or without the use of a .backingsheet.

In assembling the decal display of Fig. 2, a blank vH) is placed upon a flat surface so that it will assume the general position shown in Fig. l and the front transparent sheet 22, which may be formed of-cellulose acetate, is placed thereupon with three adjacent, edges thereof in coextensive alignment with the fold lines 3D, 5'5 and 42 and with the other edge in register with the score lines 32 :and 38. The decal proper i5 is superimposed on the sheet 22 face down and the backing sheet 20 is placed overthe back face of the decal as sembly. The blank is then folded along the score line 56 so that the panel section .54 extends at right angles to the plane .of the blank and so that the panel section 52 is reversed upon the blank to overlie the panel section .211 with the decal .assem bly I8, 20, 22 intemoosed therehetween. The blank and about theiscore lines iii .aznd'fifi to the panels and 158 across the face of decal as semblyso that the tongues $8 overlie the tongues 1'8 of the panel sections W and 5-2. The cooperating tongues may then be interlocked with the tongues 80 underlying the tongues l8 and with the leg portions produced by the panel sections 60,, '86 and B2, 68 in end to end alignment. The leg portions when (thus "interlocked constitute strap-like extensions that overlie the upper and lower edge regions of the decal assembly and firmly hold the latter in position of the panel section2'4.

The "onset extensions .38 and it are then folded upwardly out of the plane of the blank about the fold lines 28' and Bil respectively and each extension is then folded about its-fold line gated narrow transverselyiextendmg panel-sea 1 so thatthe panel section 38 thereof overlies one of the interlocked pairs of leg portions 60, 65 or 62, 68 as the case may be.

Prior to movement of the panel sections 38 and 44 to their final positions of parallelism with the plane of the blank, the tuck flaps 43 are bent into a generally curved condition and the ends of the flap are inserted into the spaces existing between the inside faces of the panel sections 38 and 44 and the back face of the reinforcing sheet 20, with the flaps extending behind leg panels. This insertion of the tuck flaps may be performed by a progressive sliding of the flaps into the space provided for them with the operator utilizing four fingers of each hand to slide the flaps into place and with these four fingers opposing the thumb in gripping relationship on the upper and lower parallel leg portions l2 and I4 (Fig. 3) of the display folder.

The display folder is thus completely erected with the decal display assembly contained therein and, in its erected condition, it will be noted that the panel sections 42, constitute elongated narrow top and bottom walls of the folder while the panel section 54 constitutes an elongated narrow side wall therefor. The two small panel sections and 12 constitute fragmentary vertical side walls in the erected structure. The panel section 24 constitutes the front wall of the folder while the panel sections 52 and 38, as well as the interlocking panel sections 60, 66 and 62, 68, and the tucking flaps 48, all constitute a composite back wall for the folder.

The consumer in removing the decal assembly from the display folder preparatory to use may reverse the folding process if desired, thus enabling him to preserve the folder for further use as for example in the case of multiple transfer prints which are applied on a single decal sheet where only one print is to be employed at a particular time. If, however, the consumer is not interested in preserving the folder, he may manually spread the leg portions i2 and I4 apart to expose the edges of the decal assembly and the assembly may then be withdrawn from the folder and the thus distorted folder discarded.

The invention is not to be considered as limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this 6 specification as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. Only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claim is the same to be limited.

I claim:

A display folder for containing and displaying flat rectangular sheet-like articles comprising a frame-like member formed from a single sheet of folding carton stock and including a front wall panel adapted to overlie the marginal edge portions of the article on three sides thereof, top and bottom panels and a side panel extending laterally from said front panel and adapted to confine the edges of the articles at said sides within the frame-like member, additional side panels extending laterally from said front panel and adapted to confine the edge of the article at the remaining side thereof within the framelike member, and a rear wall substantially coextensive with said front wall panel and spaced a slight distance from the latter said rear wall including two pairs of interlocking leg panels extending laterally from opposed side panels and underlying the upper and lower marginal edge portions respectively of the article, a pair of extensions on said top and bottom panels respectively and overlying the respective pairs of interlocking leg portions, and a tuck flap extending from each extension for reception in the space between the respective interlocked leg portions and the opposed portions of said front panel, said tuck flaps each being provided with crease lines extending thereacross to effectively lessen the rigidity of the flap and facilitate insertion of the latter into the spaces provided for it.

THOMAS W. FOSTER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 0,731 Retlich Sept. 19, 1933 796,310 Fisher Aug. 1, 1905 899,329 Sborigi Sept. 22, 1908 1,223,409 McMillan Apr. 24, 1917 

